Jimmy Lodge isn't concerned about the fact that he slipped to late in the third round in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

"Obviously, I dropped a little more than I expected but it’s not a big deal," Lodge said. "Just getting drafted is a big thing. It’s more of a next step to my dream actually. It doesn’t really matter what round you go. It’s about proving you can play and can be a part of an organization that drafted you is the big thing." Lodge sees himself as a playmaking forward. He had 28 goals and 67 points in 64 games with the OHL Saginaw Spirit last season. He's expected to return to Saginaw for the 2013-14 campaign. Thu, Jul 18, 2013 01:14:00 AM

Depth Charts

Mark Scheifele scored a pair of goals in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final.

Scheifele tied the game at one at the 5:28 mark of the second period, but Vegas' James Neal restored his team's lead just 12 seconds later. The Jets forward then added a third-period tally to cut his team's deficit to 3-2, but that's as close as they'd come to tying the game. Scheifele finished the night with four penalty minutes and five shots on goal in 20:10 of ice time. The 25-year-old has scored five times in his last four contests. He's up to 14 goals and six assists in 15 games this postseason. The Jets now find themselves down 2-1 in this best-of-seven series. Game 4 will be played in Vegas on Friday night.

Paul Stastny, who is a pending UFA, is open to returning to the Winnipeg Jets next season.

"Every door is open," said Stastny, who waived his no-trade clause to join the Jets from St. Louis. "I never look that far down the road, because in the past I've done that. You think something is going to happen. It doesn't. There is always a possibility. I have no regrets. Probably the best decision I ever made was this one. It made the game that much more fun again." He produced four goals and 13 points in 19 games with Winnipeg during the regular season as well as six goals and 15 points in 17 playoff contests.

Bryan Little earned an assist in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final on Sunday afternoon.

Little won a faceoff in the offensive zone late in the first period and Josh Morrissey fired a shot into the net. Unfortunately, that was the only goal Winnipeg could muster in a 2-1 loss to Vegas. The defeat eliminated the Jets from the playoffs.

Jack Roslovic wil suit up in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Roslovic has been a healthy scratch in six consecutive games, but he's back in the lineup because Nikolaj Ehlers (undisclosed) is dealing with an injury. The 21-year-old has two assists and a plus-3 rating in seven postseason contests. He'll skate on the third line with Bryan Little and Mathieu Perreault.

Matt Hendricks said he will be a game-time decision for Monday's match against Nashville.

Hendrick didn't stay out for extra work at Winnipeg's morning skate and Bryan Little was missing from the session. It's possible that Hendricks will play if Little is unavailable for Game 6 versus the Predators.

Nikolaj Ehlers was disappointed that he didn't score a goal in 15 playoff games.

"It sucked. Personally, I didn't feel like I played my best hockey in the playoffs," said Ehlers. "There were some games where I felt really good, but overall I didn't play my best hockey. Of course, I would have liked to score goals ... I've got to get back home this summer to make sure that happens a little more (next) season." He wasn't able to play in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final because of an illness and he skipped Game 5 versus Minnesota in the opening round with what coach Paul Maurice referred to as a "malaise." Ehlers contributed seven assists in his first taste of the postseason.

Kyle Connor scored a goal in Monday's 3-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final.

The Jets couldn't solve Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury in the first two periods, but Connor managed to cut their deficit to 2-1 with a power-play goal at the 7:17 mark of the third frame. Nikolaj Ehlers and Tyler Myers registered the assists on Winnipeg's only goal. Connor finished the night with a minus-1 rating and four shots on goal in 17:43 of ice time. The 21-year-old is up to three goals and nine points in 14 games this postseason. This best-of-seven series is now tied up at one. Game 3 will be played in Vegas on Wednesday night.

Mathieu Perreault scored a goal in his return to the lineup on Saturday night.

Perreault tallied a power-play goal in Winnipeg's 6-2 win over Nashville. He had been sidelined since Winnipeg's playoff opener after he suffered an upper-body injury, but felt he could have played in Game 4 versus the Predators. Perreault logged 12:46 of ice time in Game 5 on Saturday.

Andrew Copp didn't like being a healthy scratch for Game 5 of the Western Conference Final.

"It was really, really tough ... something that stung," Copp said. "You play every single game. You're in the fight. You feel like you have a lot of ownership of this team, and then to not be able to battle it out at the end when we're fighting for our lives, it's really hard. It'll sit with me for a while. I don't know when that'll go away." Copp wasn't in the lineup when Vegas eliminated the Jets from the playoffs. He had played in all 82 games during the regular season as well as 16 of Winnipeg's 17 playoff outings.

Shawn Matthias will be a healthy scratch in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Even with Nikolaj Ehlers out, the Jets still don't have a spot for Matthias in their lineup. The 30-year-old hasn't suited up in any of his team's playoff games this spring. He had one goal and three points in 27 games during the regular season. Marko Dano, Matt Hendricks, Tucker Poolman, Joe Morrow and Michael Hutchinson will also watch the game from the press box.

Blake Wheeler has one more season left on his six-year, $33.6 million contract.

Wheeler is eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer. He said he hasn't given a potential extension much thought yet, but he was just focused on the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Wheeler tied Claude Giroux for the most assists (68) in the NHL during the 2017-18 campaign and he ranked ninth in scoring with a personal best 91 points in 81 outings.

Laine said after the Jets' playoff elimination that he wants to be with the team as long as they want him. He added that Winnipeg feels home to him. The 20-year-old forward has made an immediate impact at the NHL level with 80 goals and 134 points over 155 games in his first two seasons. Winnipeg will likely look to lock him up to a long-term contract extension.

Armia was a healthy scratch Friday night, but Andrew Copp will be in the press box for Sunday's contest. Armia, who has two goals in 12 playoff contests, is slated to play with Brandon Tanev and Adam Lowry.

Marko Dano will be a healthy scratch in Game 2 of Winnipeg's first-round series against Minnesota.

Dano has served as a healthy scratch for a good chunk of the season, and that won't change tonight. He had two goals and one assist in 23 games during the regular season. Tucker Poolman and Shawn Matthias will also watch the game from the press box.

Dustin Byfuglien's mistake in the third period led directly to Reilly Smith's game-winning goal in the third period.

Byfuglien loaded up for a slap shot but completely whiffed on the puck, sending Smith in alone on Connor Hellebuyck and Vegas' forward sniped one short side. That goal from Smith 13:02 into the final period proved to be the game-winner. Byfuglien finished the game with an assist on Patrik Laine's power play goal but the Jets will head back to Winnipeg trailing 3-1 in the series. It wasn't a good night for Byfuglien as he also wasted about six seconds in the final moments of the game by thinking the referees were going to call icing on a dump by the Golden Knights that jumped over his stick. The Jets will need him to put tonight's game behind him and refocus ahead of Sunday's do-or-die Game 5.

Jacob Trouba is a key restricted free agent for the Jets this off-season.

Trouba would prefer to get a deal done as soon as possible. "I've been down that road once," he said. "The quicker, the better." Trouba missed Winnipeg’s training camp and the start of the 2016-17 season because of a contract holdout. He eventually agreed to a two-year bridge deal worth $6 million.

Tyler Myers scored a goal in Friday's 3-2 Game 4 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.

In a weird sequence, Myers sneaked a puck between Marc-Andre Fleury's legs that went unnoticed for a couple of seconds until Mathieu Perreault started celebrating the goal. It's Myers' fourth goal and seventh point in 14 playoff games so far but it wasn't enough to tie up the series. The Jets will now head back to Winnipeg trailing 3-1 in the series with Game 5 scheduled for Sunday afternoon.

Josh Morrissey scored Winnipeg's only goal in Sunday's 2-1 loss to Vegas in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final.

The Jets fired 32 shots on goal Sunday afternoon, but they only beat Vegas netminder Marc-Andre Fleury once and now their season is over. The Golden Knights have advanced to the Stanley Cup Final. Morrissey scored off a faceoff win by Bryan Little late in the first period to tie the game at 1-1, but Ryan Reaves got the game-winning goal in the second period.

Ben Chiarot was a healthy scratch in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final.

Chiarot and Toby Enstrom were in the press box on Sunday, as Winnipeg chose to dress Joe Morrow and Dmitry Kulikov instead. The team's reworked defense corps didn't help the Jets extend the series, though, as Vegas won the game 2-1 and the series 4-1.

Morrow hasn't played since Game 5 of the opening round against Minnesota. He had one goal for the Jets before he was removed from the lineup. Toby Enstrom and Ben Chiarot won't play in Game 5, while Morrow and Dmitry Kulikov will be on the back end.

Dmitry Kulikov will return to the lineup on Sunday afternoon for Game 5 of the Western Conference Final.

Kulikov was paired with Tyler Myers during the pregame warmups. He hasn't played since Mar. 8 due to a back injury, so this will mark his 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs debut. Kulikov and Joe Morrow will play with Ben Chiarot and Toby Enstrom out of the lineup against Vegas.

Toby Enstrom, who is a pending unrestricted free agent, may have played in his last NHL season.

"Toby is a special player in this organization," said Winnipeg GM Kevin Cheveldayoff. "And regardless of how things move forward, whether he chooses play again and then whether there’s an opportunity to play here, that chapter of things is still to be written." Enstrom has played 11 seasons with the Jets/Atlanta Thrashers. He skated in 43 games during the 2017-18 campaign because of injuries and he contributed six points. Enstrom didn't speak with the media during Tuesday's exit meetings.

Connor Hellebuyck stopped 30 shots in a 2-1 loss to Vegas in Game 5 on Sunday afternoon.

Hellebuyck and the Jets lost four straight games after winning the series opener in the Western Conference Final and now their season is over. The 25-year-old netminder had a great year, but fatigue may have caught up to him. He was outplayed by veteran Marc-Andre Fleury throughout the series.

"I don't sit here and anticipate that a buyout is a course of action I would take with Steve Mason," Cheveldayoff said. "Steve Mason is a capable No. 1 goaltender in the NHL. He signed with us knowing - and we were very up front with him - that this was going to be about winning, whether it was him, or whether there was going to be competition to win." The 29-year-old is entering the final year of his contract that comes with a cap hit of $4.1 million. The Jets also need to re-sign starter Connor Hellebuyck to a new deal this summer. Injuries limited Mason to just 13 games in 2017-18. He finished the season with a 5-6-1 record, a 3.24 goals-against-average and a .906 save percentage. There's no denying that if the Jets could move him, they would.